IOM World Migration Report

Access to safe and regular migration pathways continues to support economic growth and development worldwide. The World Migration Report 2026 shows that restricting these pathways does not stop migration but instead shifts it into more irregular and dangerous routes, increasing risks for migrants and costs for States, while limiting the broader benefits of migration. Migration continues to play a central role in the global economy. By mid-2024, there were an estimated 304 million international migrants, about 3.7 per cent of the world's population, a share that has grown gradually over time. The number of international migrant workers has been growing too, and during the decade from 2013 to 2022 this number increased by more than 30 million, according to the latest available estimates. Financial flows from migrants remain a key source of support. Remittances in 2024 were expected to reach an estimated USD 905 billion, including USD 685 billion to low- and middle-income countries. These flows now exceed official development assistance and foreign direct investment combined. The report also shows that while the number of international migrants has grown over time, migration patterns vary significantly across regions, underscoring that there is no single global migration story and that responses must be tailored to regional realities. The report further highlights that access to migration opportunities remains uneven, with pathways expanding more for people in higher-income countries while remaining constrained for those in lower-income contexts, reinforcing global mobility inequalities. This trend is slowing labour mobility and reducing the potential economic gains migration can deliver. These developments come as global displacement remains at record levels. By the end of 2024, more than 120 million people were displaced worldwide, including refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons. However, most displacement occurs within countries rather than across borders, and is increasingly shaped by a combination of conflict, environmental pressures, and structural vulnerabilities. Many of the largest displacement situations are protracted, requiring longer-term, development-oriented responses alongside humanitarian assistance. Migration also supports labour markets, helps address skills gaps, and drives innovation. Diaspora communities play a role in maintaining economic and social links between countries, including through knowledge exchange, investment, and remittances. The report outlines practical steps to sustain these benefits, including expanding safe and regular migration pathways, reducing remittance costs, and supporting skills mobility and reintegration. It also calls for stronger regional cooperation, improved data collection, and more inclusive, evidence-based policies to better manage migration in a rapidly changing global context.

Since 2000, IOM has been producing its flagship world migration reports every two years. The World Migration Report 2024, the twelfth in the world migration report series, has been produced to contribute to increased understanding of migration and mobility throughout the world. The last two years saw major migration and displacement events that have caused great hardship and trauma, as well as loss of life. In addition to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, millions of people have been displaced due to other conflicts, such as within and/or from the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar. There have also been large scale displacements triggered by climate- and weather-related disasters in many parts of the world in 2022 and 2023, including in Pakistan, the Philippines, China, India, Bangladesh, Brazil and Colombia. Further, in February 2023, south-east Türkiye and northern Syrian Arab Republic experienced powerful earthquakes, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths. By March, an estimated 2.7 million people had been displaced in Türkiye and many had been left homeless in the Syrian Arab Republic. This new edition presents key data and information on migration as well as thematic chapters on highly topical migration issues and is structured to focus on two key contributions for readers. Part I includes key information on migration and migrants (including migration-related statistics); and part II includes balanced, evidence-based analysis of complex and emerging migration issues.